Printing telegraph system



Nov. 28, 1933. J. H. BELL PRINTING TELEGRAPH SYSTEM Filed may 15, 1932 Z'Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR J.H.BL LL ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1933. J, H. BELL PRINTING TELEGRAPH sYs'rsm Filed May 13, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J, H. BELL BY ATTORNL'Y Patented Nov. 28, 1933 UNITED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE PRINTING TELEGRAPH SYSTEM John H. Bell, South Orange, N. J., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application May 13, 1932. Serial No. 611,005

4 Claims.

This invention relates to telegraph signals and more particularly to telegraph systems including recorders embodying a character type carrier having type arranged in two groups and is a continuation in part of my pending application Serial No. 556,958, filed August 14, 193i.

- It has been usual to arrange the character iii type in diflerent alignments on a type carrier as in an upper and a lower case and with the usual rive-unit code it has been necessary to transmit a special shiit signal for the alignment of the characters in a single line on the printing suriace. However, in certain instances, as for example, in the case of quotation service, the shift from one case to the other occurs so frequently that the loss of line time due to the shift signals is considerable.

It has been proposed to adapt a six-unit code for quotation service whereby special shift signals would be eliminated with a considerable saving in line time. With such. an arrangement it is possible to utilize a six-unit signal combination for not only selecting the position of the type carrier, but also to cause the proper shift operations in accordance with the case of the transmitted character.

It is an object or" the invention to utilize a code signal for the selection of any one oi a plurality of character types arranged in two groups on type carrier of a recording device and at ti;v same time for initiating the shift operations in accordance with the similarity or dissimilarity of two signal units in a series oi impulses comprising a code signal. I

Another object of the invention is the printing of characters arranged in upper and lower cases on the type wheel in a single line in response to a six-unit code and the relative shifting of the type carrier and printing surface in response to a difference or similarity between the settings of two members of two permutation units in the recorder. v

A further object of this invention is to prevent fluttering of the shift mechanism during the setting of the shiit control permutation members in the recorder.

In accordance with the invention a telegraph printer when adapted for operation by a sixunit code may have a type wheel with as many as sixty-four diilerent types arranged in two rows around the periphery corresponding to the upper and lower cases, the types being paired so that the type wheel may be positioned in thirtytwo difierent positions responsive to the setting of five units of the selecting mechanism. The

sixth unit of the selecting mechanism cooperates iointly with one of the live units to close circuit contacts for the electromagnetically operated shift mechanism, the contacts being so interconnected that the placing of both of these to two units either in marking or in spacing position will cause printing in one case, say the upper case, whereas placing of the two units, one in spacing and the other in marking position, will result in printing in the other case. A camcs actuated contact is provided to close a circuit for energizing the electromagnetic shift mechanism after the six units oi the selecting mechanism have all been positioned.

The invention in its preferred form will be to described in connection with the attached draw ings in which:

Fig. l is a schematic representation of a quo== tation service system oi the start-stop type having a coon transmittingstation and a line is including a plurality oi receiving stations, and showing in a simplified exploded view only enough of a six-unit recording device for an understanding of the invention;

Figs. 2-A and B are views showing the relaac 'tions between certain elements of a selecting unit of the recording device under marking and spacing conditions, respectively, viewed from the rear oi the machine as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates a recording device similar to as that shown in Fig. l and shows an alternative arrangement of the shifting equipment in accordance with the invention; and

Figs. c-a, B, C and D, schematically show the diflerent circuit combinations for the arco rangement shown in Fig. 3.

Inasmuch as the details of the general selecting mechanism shown in the drawings do not form a part of the invention, it is believed to be sumcient for a clear understanding of the invention and its operation to describe the operation of this mechanism in conjunction with the detailed description of parts and operations more closely related to the invention.

Referring now to Fig. l, the line L includes a plurality of receiving relays R, Rl, etc. and a transmitting station TS. The transmitting station TS includes a transmitter T of any known type arranged for a six-unit code, having six transmitting contacts included in the line circuit through a transmitting distributor D of the start-stop type. "lhe line circuit forms a closed loop connecting battery B through the segments of distributor D, contacts of transmitter T, the windings in series of all the relays R. When the distributor D is in its stop position, as shown, this loop circuit is closed by the brush arm bridging the common ring and the marking segment MS and all the receiving relays are operated to marking position. Transmission is started whenever a circuit (not shown) is closed in a known manner by the operation of the start magnet SM which releases the brush arm of the distributor. Upon leaving its normal position, the brush arm passes over the spacing segment SS, whereby a spacing signal is transmitted over the loop causing all the receiving relays to release to spacing position. The brush arm thereafter passes over segments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in succession causing the receiving relays to operate in accordance with the combination of open and closed contacts set up in the transmitter T. The brush arm finally comes to a stop on the marking segment MS, again closing the loop circuit and thus completing the transmission of a character.

Referring now to the reception of such a series of permutation signals by any one of the receiving stations the operation of receiving relay R is transferred to a polarized printer magnet PM which controls all the operations of the printing device for the selection of a desired character and for the printing in a single line of the characters arranged in upper and lower cases.

With the printer magnet PM in the marking position as shown, a spring 101, exerting a pull on pivoted lever 102, applies a pressure to the left on a flutter disc 103 which in turn causes the horizontal arm 105 of the flutter lever 104 to rest against the armature of the printing magnet PM. When the first spacing signal is received, the armature of printing magnet PM goes to the right, thereby removing the stop for the arm 105. The flutter disc 103 is fixedly mounted on a cam drum 110 which forms a sleeve slidably mounted on the selector shaft 111, but arranged to rotate with the shaft; thus in response to the operation of the printer magnet PM the fiutter disc 103 and with it the cam drum 110, moves a distance to the left under the pressure of spring 101 until the left-hand end of the cam drum engages the fixed stop 112.

The selector shaft 111 is intermittently driven in a direction shown by the arrow at its righthand end through a friction coupling 113 and proper gearing from a constantly revolving motor shaft 114 connected to a motor (not shown) however, the shaft is prevented from rotating by a stop arm 115 fastened to the cam drum 110 and the free end of which engages a fixed stop 116; when as described, the cam drum 110 moves to the left, the stop arm 115 disengages the stop 116, thus permitting the rotation ofshaft 111 and cam drum 110. v

The flutter disc 103 has along its periphery a series of corrugations, seven in number, for the purpose of fluttering the lever 104 seven times as the disc makes one revolution, thereby causing the horizontal arm 105 of flutter lever 104 to move up and down; however, when due to the signals the armature of the printer magnet PM moves to the left, the downward movement of the arm 105 is prevented and the lever 104 causes the cam drum 110 to flutter in an axial direction on the selector shaft 111 due to the interaction between the corrugations in the flutter disc and the prongs at the lower end of the lever 104. The-speed of rotation of the selector shaft 111 is timed so that each of the seven raised portions or corrugations of the flutter wheel will raise arm 105 once for each unit impulse received over the loop circuit with the result that each marking pulse in a signal combination will place the cam drum 110 towards the right for the time of its duration, whereas each spacing pulse will place the cam drum towards the left for the time of its duration. Thus as the cam drum 110 makes one revolution it will pass through seven periods corresponding to the duration of seven-unit impulses and in each period it will be either to the right or to the left, depending on whether the corresponding unit pulse is a marking or a spacing pulse, respectively. Upon the completion of the transmission of an impulse series, the cam drum will have completed a revolution and, due to the marking signal then being placed on the line, the cam drum will move to the right in time for the stop arm 115 to engage the stop 116 thereby bringing the cam drum 110 to a stop.

This fluttering operation of the cam drum 110 during a revolution in unison with the received signal pulses is effective in storing up a setting on the selecting or permutation mechanism in the printer in accordance with the impulse combination transmitter. For this purpose, the cam drum 110 carries six pairs of camming lugs, namely, spacing lugs 11 to 16 and marking lugs 21 to 26, the pairs of lugs being angularly and progressively displaced with respect to each other at a spacing corresponding to the angular spacing of the corrugations in fiutter disc 103. Each pair of camming lugs is furthermore aligned in the axial direction with selector lever 31 to 36, which in turn cooperate with transfer levers 41 to 46 for the setting of code discs 51 to 56. The setting of the code discs from the movements of cam drum 110 will be described only in connection with the first permutation unit, shown at the extreme right, which is responsive to the first impulse of a signal combination received from the line, since the operation for setting the other code discs is the same. In this description reference will also be made to Figs. 2A and 2--B which illustrate a portion of the cam drum 110 with the camming lugs 11 and 21 of the first unit and their cooperation with the associated selector lever 31 in the marking and spacing positions respectively of the cam drum 110. The spacing lug 11 is placed diametrically opposite marking lug 21 on cam drum 110, but these lugs are axially displaced a small distance. The selector lever 31 has a spacing projection a aligned with the lug 11 when the cam drum is in the spacing position and a marking projection h aligned with the lug 21 when the cam drum 110 is in marking position; the spacing lug 11 will clear both projections a and b in marking position and marking lug 21 will clear both projections a and b in the spacing position of the cam drum. The lugs are shaped to exert a camming action on these projections to impart a small angular movement to the selector lever 31 about its pivot point 120 whereby two other I'i projections c and d on the selector lever 31 are caused to take one of two positions. The projections c and d cooperate with projections e and f respectively of the transfer lever 41 in such a manner that, in the case of marking, the

Thetransfer lever 41 is hinged on a bail 121 which may be raised and lowered through the roller 122 from cam 123 mounted on the selector shaft 111; the transfer lever 41 has a projection g fitted in a slot 71. cut into the periphcry of the code discs 51 for placing the disc in one of two angular positions, the disc being rotatable aboutthe shaft 142.

During a complete revolution of cam drum 110 the pairs of camming lugs will pass in succession before corresponding projections on the selector levers and due to the'fiuttering of the drum in response to received signals the lugs will operate the selector levers into their marking or spacing positions in accordance with the signals received. Shortly before the completion of the revolution, the projection on cam 123'will raise the roller 122 for an instant thereby raising the bail 121 carrying all the transfer levers 41 to 46. With selector lever 31 in marking position, as shownin Fig. l, the projection 01 will be in the upward path of projection j of the transfer lever 41, thereby imparting a small angular displacement to the transfer lever, which in turn places a the code disc 51 in its marking position; with the selector lever 31 in spacing position the projection 0 would be in the path of projection e of the transfer lever thereby placing the code disc in its spacing position. In this manner all the code discs 51 to 56 are adjusted to their spacing or marking positions in accordance'with a received signal combination.

Each of the code discs 51 to 56 has a plurality of notches cut into its periphery, and the ar rangement of these notches is different in all the discs so that any one of a plurality of stop pins 130 may be selected by corresponding settings of these discs for positioning of the type wheel 140. As shown for one of the stop.pins 130 these pins comprise a straight portion 131 which is forced into engagement with the notched periphery of all the code discs by means of a spring 132. The other end of the pin 130 is pivoted at 133.

For each setting of the discs one of the stop pins 130 will be admitted to its inward position. due to the alignment of the notches associated therewith in the code discs, while all the other stop pins will be held in their outward position by a raised portion of at least one of the code discs. The selected stop pin thus enters into the path of the type wheel stop arm 141 which, together with type wheel 140, is mounted on the type wheel shaft 142 driven through friction clutch 143 and gearing from motor shaft 114.

The same setting of the code discs, which caused the selective operation of the stop pin 130 referred to, is also instrumental in releasing the stop arm 141 from its previous position in engagement with another stop pin 130, which is forced into its outer position by the camming action of one or more of the notches. The stopping of arm 141 by engagement with the stop pin 135 places a pair of types on the type wheel 140 corresponding to the received signal in align ment with the platen 154 on the printing hammer 153 for printing.

In accordance with the invention, the-sixth selecting unit associated with the cam drum 110 is made to operate a special code disc 56 which does not cooperate in the selection of stop pins but is arranged to cooperate with the code disc 55 for the control of the shift mechanism. For this purpose the discs 55 and 56 are provided with projections its and its respectively for operation of two sets of contact springs ms and me which each comprise alternate contacts for completing a circuit from battery through the shift magnet, UM through the contact sets in series to ground.

The type wheel 140 is mounted on a sleeve 14''! axially adjustable on the shaft142 for pcsitioning of the type wheel in upper or lower case under the control of the shift magnet UM,

the armature of which has a fork at its upper.

end which fits into an annular groove 146 onthe sleeve 147. Thus when the shift magnet UM is deenergized, the spring on its armature forces the sleeve 14'? towards the right against the stop 148 on the type wheel shaft 142 thereby placing the lower case character types on the type wheel 140 in alignment with the platen 154 for printing; whereas when the shift magnet UM is char gized its armature forces the sleeve 147 towards the left for alignment of the upper case character types with the platen 154. Inking roller 145 is placed in engagement with the type wheel 140 and is made to follow the axial movements of the type wheel by being mounted in a cradle 149 which in turn may be slidably connected to the frame 150 to prevent the roller from revolving about the type wheel. A'printing tape 144 passes between the type wheel 140 and platen 154 in the usual manner.

From inspection of the drawings, it may readily be seen that the connections through the contact combinations m5 and me are so arranged that when. the discs 55 and 56 are in spacing and marking positions respectively, as shown in the drawings, or inversely are in marking and spacing position respectively, the shift magnet UM will be energized to place the type wheel in the upper case, whereas when discs 55 and 55 both are either in marking or in spacing position the shift magnet UM will be denergized and the type wheel 140 will be placed in the lower case. The shift operation takes place immediately upon the operation of the bail 121 after the reception of a complete signal combination. A-printing cam 158 is arranged to be driven in unison with the selector shift 111 by means (not shown) and to force the printing platen 154 into engagement with'the printing tape 144 and the type wheel 140 against the tension of spring 159 once for each revolution of the shaft 111, the time of its operation being such that it will take place shortly after the type wheel has been positioned for printing.

An alternative arrangement of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3 which shows certain parts of a printing recorder similar to that shown in Fig. 1 and illustrates only enough of such mechanism for an understanding of its modification for the present purpose.

In this modification the type wheel 140 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 142 together with the stop arm 141 and provision is made for shifting the printing tape 144 for alignment with the character types in the upper or the lower case on the type wheel. For this purpose the printing tape 144 is passed through a tape carriage 160 between the type wheel and the two printing hammers, 153. The carriage 160 may be shifted the distance between the upper and lower cases on the type wheel by means of an armature operated either by the upper case magnet UCM or the lower case magnet LCM for alignment of the printing tape with the types in the two cases. The two printing hammers 153 having a limited flexibility are provided with printing platens 154, H

one hammer and platen being provided for each case. Carriage 160 has an opening 161directly between the platens and the type wheel for permitting one of the platens 154 to engage the tape 144 and bring it into contact with a type in the corresponding case while the other platen engages the carriage 160 which prevents it from striking either the tape or the type when the cam 158 operates the two printing hammers 153. It should be ndted that the two printing hammers have a limited flexibility such that one of the printing hammers will carry its platen through the aperture 161 and cause it to print while the other platen engages the carriage 160 when cam 158 operates the two printing hammers. The aperture 161 is of suflicient width only to permit one of the platens 154 to print, the aperture being bordered on each side by a shielding portion, of which the portion 162 intervenes between the lower case types and the corresponding platen 154 when the other platen prints through the aperture 161 in the upper case, and the other shield 163 intervenes between the upper case types and their corresponding platen 154 when the lower case platen prints through the aperture 161, the purpose of the shields 162 and 163 being to prevent printing in the case which was not selected by the signals. Any convenient guiding means may be provided for the movement of the carriage 160 parallel with the shaft 142 and the tape is led through the carriage 160 in such a manner that it will be free to move upwards with the platens 154 for printing.

Selection of upper or lower case characters by the present arrangement is determined by the first and second impulse units of a signal combination, the first impulse, being utilized solely for this purpose and the second impulse together with the remaining four impulses also partaking in the selection of a character within the case. Thus, the spring combinations m1 and ma for controlling the magnets UCM and LCM are associated with the first and second selector levers 31 and 32 which are provided with camming extensions 701 and kg for operating the spring combinations in accordance with the marking or spacing positions of the selector levers. During the setting of selector levers 31 and 32 the circuit for the shift magnets is held open at the contact 1'71; a cam 170, mounted on the selector shaft 111, serves to close the contacts 171 shortly after the contact combinations m1 and ma have been switched, closing a circuit from battery through thecontact combinations and the winding of one or the other of the shift magnets. The different circuits established by the different positions of the extensions k1 and k: and the corresponding positions on the tape carriage 160 are illustrated in Figs. 4-A, B, C and D which also show the corresponding relations of the aperture 161 and shields 162 and 163 with respect to the upper and lower case types and the printing platens 154. From an inspection of the drawings it will be apparent that, when the selector levers 31 and 32 occupy similar positions, circuits will be established for the upper case magnet UCM, as shown in Fig. 3, whereas when the selector levers 31 and 32 occupy different positions circuits will be established for the lower case magnet LCM.

In this arrangement no code disc will be required for the first permutation unit and the code disc 56 for the last permutation unit is notched for the cooperation with the other code discs 52 and 55 in the selection of a stop pin 130.

With this arrangement the shifting operation may take place before the operation of.the bail 121 and the stopping of the stop arm 141 and type wheel 140 in its new selected position.

It should be understood that it is possible to arrange several modifications of the invention andgto combine the features illustrated and descri -"ed in different ways other than those dis-- closed without a departure from the scope of the invention. For example, contacts m5 and ms of Fig. 1 may be actuated by projections on two of the selector levers as in Fig. 2 or the contacts m1 and ma may be actuated by projections on the code discs as in Fig. 1. Also the shifting arrangement of Fig. 1 may be employed to shift the tape as in Fig. 2 while the tape shifting arrangement shown in Fig. 2 may easily be adapted to shift the type wheel of Fig. 1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph printer responsive to multiunit telegraph signals having two printing cases, means for selecting the desired case comprising an electromagnet for shifting from one of said cases to the other of said cases, a second electromagnet for shifting from said second mentioned case to said first case, a plurality of contacts associated with said printer and connected to said electromagnets for selecting and actuating one of said magnets in accordance with any two predetermined units of said multi-unit telegraph signal.

2. In a character recording device responsive to six-unit telegraph signals having a type wheel with the type arranged in two rows around its periphery, and a tape for receiving imprints of said type, means for shifting said tape relative to said type wheel comprising an electromagnet for shifting said tape adjacent one of said rows of type, a second electromagnet for shifting said tape adjacent to the other row of said type, a plurality of contacts associated with said recording device for selecting either of said electromagnets in accordance with the similarity or difference of two units of said six-unit telegraph signal, and means for actuating said selected electromagnet after it has been so selected.

3. In a telegraph printer a mechanical distributor, a plurality of selector levers associated therewith individually and sequentially responsive to unit signals received from a line circuit, a rotating type wheel with type arranged in two groups, a tape for receiving imprints in a single line from said type wheel, a guide for said tape, an electromagnet for shifting the relative position of said tape guide and said type wheel so one group of said type will be in position to print upon said tape, a second electromagnet for shifting the relative position of said tape guide and said type wheel so the other group of said type will be in a position to print upon said tape, contact and circuit means associated with two of said selector levers, and a cam-operated contact for completing the circuit of one of said electromagnets after said two selector levers have been positioned.

4. A recording device responsive to a six-unit telegraph code signal comprising selector levers, a distributor for distributing the units of said telegraph code signals to the selector levers whereby said selector levers are positioned in accordance with the units of the received signal, a type wheel with two rows of type located around its pe- Is riphery permutation discs associated therewith to position said type wheel, transfer levers interconnecting said selector levers and said permutation discs, a tape for receiving imprints of said type, a shiftable guide for feeding the tape past operated contact, and means for interconnecting said electromagnets, selector levers and cam contacts whereby said selector contacts establish a circuit from one of said magnets to said cam contacts in accordance with the similarity or dissimilarity in position of two selector levers, and said cam contacts complete the circuit of said selected electromagnets for shifting the tape adjacent to the desired row of type.

JOHN H. BELL. 

